Wagering game machines, such as slot machines, video poker machines and the like, have been a cornerstone of the gaming industry for several years. Traditionally, wagering game machines have been confined to physical buildings, like casinos (e.g., resort casinos, road-side casinos, etc.). The casinos are located in specific geographic locations that are authorized to present wagering games to casino patrons. Furthermore, some wagering game providers offer physical game cards. For example, many states offer lotteries that use physical game cards such as lottery tickets and scratch cards. A player can purchase the physical game card at a specific physical location associated with a vendor that is authorized to sell the physical game card. For example, the player can purchase the physical game card at a store counter or via a vending machine.
As mentioned previously, one type of physical game card is a scratch card. A scratch card is typically used in a type of “instant-win” type of wagering game where the outcome for the wagering game is revealed instantly on the card. For example, a scratch card may indicate, somewhere on the card, a top award value that can be won for the wagering game (e.g., the scratch card has a title that indicates a player can win “$200,000”). A player scratches off one or more portions of the card that have scratchable material. When the scratchable material is removed (e.g., scratched away), an outcome to the wagering game is revealed underneath. The outcome indicates whether the player has won the top award, some other prize associated with the wagering game, or no award. If the player wins a prize, to redeem the prize the player can show the physical card to an employee of the vendor at the physical location where the card was purchased. In another example, the player can provide the physical game card to the provider of the wagering game (e.g., take the physical card to a state lottery office).
With the proliferation of interest and use of the Internet, shrewd wagering game manufacturers and wagering game providers have recognized that a global public network, such as the Internet, can reach to various locations of the world that have been authorized to present wagering games. Any individual with a personal computing device (e.g., a personal computer, a laptop, a personal digital assistant, a cell phone, etc.) can connect to the Internet. As a result, wagering game manufacturers, casino operators, and game providers, including those who provide physical game cards (e.g., for lottery type games), are constantly in need of innovative concepts for online wagering games and related online services or products.